Curtain-holding device



(No Modeli) G. H. DAVIS. CURTAIN HOLDING DEVICE.

No. 577,842. Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

NITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. DAVIS, or PORTLAND, MAINE.

CURTAIN-HOLDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,842, dated March 2,1897.

Application filed October 5,1895. Serial No. 564,714. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Curtain-HoldingDevices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a curtain-holding device to be appliedparticularly to curtains for open street-cars, although it is welladapted for use in other kinds of curtains.

The particular object of the invention is to construct a curtain inwhich the lower edge can be held firmly against the pull of thespring-roller and in which the lower edge will always remain in aperfectly horizontal position whether the curtain is lifted at thecenter or the side.

In my curtain-holding device, as hereinafter shown, I make use of a cordor cable at each side of the curtain, the upper end of each cord beingsecured to the upper portion of the casing at the side of the openingand the lower end being secured in like manner to the lower portion ofthe casin The center or body portion of each of these cords forms a loopwhich extends into a hollow curtain-stick which is attached to the lowerend of the curtain, and both pass around a common wheel or pulleyjournaled in the hollow curtain-stick in such a manner that as thecurtain moves up and down the common pulley will let off and take upboth cords at exactly the same rate, thuscausing both ends of thecurtain-stick to rise and fall alike.

As I prefer to construct my device I place my common pulley in thecenter, and at each end I journal a pulley over which the cords pass asthey enter the curtain stick or tube.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a curtain constructed inthe manner which I consider best and most effective where a cord orcable is to be used, although it is evident that other forms may be madewhile keeping within the limits of my present invention and within theterms of my claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of a curtain, the hollowcurtain-stick being shown in section. line on a: of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3is section on the line y y of Fig. l.

0 represents the curtain. R is the springroller, and A is the casing,having therein the groove g, in which the end of the hollow curtainstick or tube S runs. The motion of the curtain is controlled by meansof two cords or cables D and D, one on each side of the curtain. Theupper end of each of the cords is made fast to the upper portion of thecasing, as here shown in the groove 9, and the other end of the cord isin like manner made fast to the lower portion of the casing, the middleor body portion of the cord forming a -loop which extends into the endof the hollow curtain-stick. In order that these two cords may take upand let off at exactly the same rate of speed, I cause them to passaround a common pulley journaled on the inside of the tube. In thepresent form the common pulley is the grooved wheel H, located in thecenter of the tube, and around this wheel both cords pass, the cord Dbeing crossed, so thatthe motion of both cords will be in the samedirection about the wheel I-I.

At the point where the cords pass into the ends of the tube I journaltwo other grooved wheels E and F, the cords passing around and overthese wheels, which act as guides or antifriction-rolls.

As before explained, when the curtain is moved up and down the cords arelet off and taken up at the same rate, thus preserving the parallelmotion of the curtain-stick. If the cords or cables are sufficientlystiff and heavy, the friction will be sufficient; but if more frictionis wanted it can be easily applied to the wheels or pulleys or to thecords,

as desired.

It is evident that the two cords can be made to pass around more thanone common pulley, and that when more than one is employed there is lessliability of the cord slipping.

It will be seen that with my device it is immaterial where the liftingor pulling power is applied, whether at the center or ends of thecurtain-stick, the latter will always re- Fig. 2 is a section on themain horizontal unless the cords slip on the common pulley, which theywill not do with any ordinary usage.

I claim 1. The herein-described curtain-holding device having a hollowcurtain-stick secured to the lower edge of the curtain, a cord at eachside of the curtain, each of said cords being secured by one end to theupper portion of the casing and by the other end to the lower portion ofthe casing, the body of each cord forming a loop which extends into saidhollow curtain-stick through the end and over a common pulley journaledtherein.

2. The herein-described curtain -holding device having a hollowcurtain-stick secured to the lower edge of the curtain, a cord at eachside of the curtain each of said cords being secured by one end to theupper portion of the casing and by the other end to the lower portion ofthe casing, a wheel or pulley journaled at each end of said hollowcurtainstick and another journaled at some interior point the said cordsforming loops which extend into the said hollow curtain-stick throughits ends, each passing around one of said end pulleys and both passingaround the common interior pulley.

3. In a guide for spring-actuated shades, the combination with a casingand a springactuated shade, of a hollow stick thereon, flexible guidessecured to the casing and entering the stick, and means located in thestick, actuated by the guides, for moving the opposite ends of the sticksimultaneously.

GEORGE II. DAVIS.

Vitnesses:

S. W. BATES, E. E. PIPER.

